Apparitions
by Fuck if I know
Summary: Akashi had been a lonely boy, and that was probably his fault. Regardless, something in him changed when he met him. Kuroko Tetsuya. ((One-shot that could possibly turn into an actual story, I'm not sure yet. Please leave your opinions?))
1. Chapter 1

Akashi had been a lonely boy. Sure, he had some friends, but he felt he was never able to truly be himself around them. He was more of a young authority figure to them. That was probably his fault. He'd always been taught to see himself as a superior. Why, then, did he feel as if he was in the wrong?

Regardless, something in Akashi changed when he met him. Kuroko Tetsuya. He was small, quiet. Almost invisible. Akashi had been startled out of his wits when he first noticed him. He'd been practicing his violin after school. When he'd finished his beautiful solo, he'd been more than surprised to hear a single applause. Turning with wide crimson eyes, his gaze fell upon Kuroko. The bluenette was smiling, ever so lightly, and Akashi could see something strange flash across his yes. It was gone in an instant, though, and he quickly forgot about it.

"That was beautiful," Kuroko said.

Akashi walked over to him, eyeing him skeptically before breaking into a grin.

"Thanks. I'm Akashi Seijuro." He held his hand out, and Kuroko hesitantly placed his small, cold hand into his.

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

Akashi could feel it in his bones, that this was the start of a new friendship. A new him.

Months went by, and the boys grew ever closer. They shared secrets and longings and troubles, and Akashi was finally happy. Akashi's friends knew all about Kuroko, but they'd never met him. Akashi longed to introduce them, his old and new friends, but every time he mentioned it to Kuroko, the boy would get real still and offer some excuse as to why he couldn't that day. Akashi understood, he was shy.

But Kuroko couldn't hide forever.

One day, whilst Kuroko and Akashi were thoroughly caught up in their fun, Akashi's friends also happened to be in the area. They'd noticed the redhead and instantly made their way over to him.

"Ne, Aka-chin, what are you doing?"

Akashi looked up to Murisakabara, excitement in his eyes. "Oh, hey guys, this is great. You can finally meet Kuroko!"

Kise stepped up to the purple headed boy's side, blinking. "Akashi-cchi, where is he then?"

Akashi stared at him in disbelief, a laugh on his lips. "Don't be silly, Ryouta," he said.

Midorima stepped closer as well, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Akashi, there's no one here, it's clear. Did he run off?"

Akashi looked to his side with wide eyes. Kuroko was still standing there, but he looked distant. His eyes were dead, and he wouldn't meet Akahi's eyes.

Aomine spoke next. "He's not your imaginary friend, is he?" He laughed heartily, but Akashi frowned, turning to face Kuroko directly.

"K-Kuroko..?"

The bluenette finally raised his gaze to meet Akashi's, a small sad smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, Akashi. I told you I can't meet them."

In a flash, Kuroko had vanished completely, right before Akashi's eyes. His jaw went slack, his shoulders slumped, and tears filled his eyes. This was the day that Akashi Seijuro learned of his ability. To see the dead. Unfortunately, it was also the day he'd change forever. He never truly smiled again.


	2. Chapter 2

***le punches self for doing this now* ;A; I was supposed to wait until I at least finished Frigid and After All This Time... But I couldn't help it, I'm sorry *cries***

 **I hope you enjoy anyway..? *heart***

* * *

A year passed by quickly for Akashi's friends, slowly for Akashi himself. Kuroko hadn't shown up since that day, but a few other ghosts had. Akashi always ignored them, though. He could tell now which were the living or the dead, but he wanted nothing to do with the latter.

Sometimes he hated Kuroko, for letting him believe what they had was normal, that they were normal. Other times, he hated himself for letting him go. Really, though, what could he have done? The boy was a ghost, and he'd simply vanished before his eyes.

Akashi's friends hadn't spoken of the incident since, sensing the change in the redhead. They were smart for that, for Akashi probably would have lost all sanity if they'd even mentioned the name Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Akashi-cchi!"

Akashi turned a dead gaze to Kise as he ran toward him, a stupid smile on his face. "Akashi-cchi, Aomine-cchi wants to play some ball after school. What do you say?"

Akashi blinked. Sure it would probably be boring to him, but why not? He had nothing better to do anymore.

"Sure. What about the others?"

"I'm on my way to ask them!" And with that, the blond took off again.

Akashi stared after him, not even able to mussel up a sigh. Everything was so boring now, even the nuisances.

That afternoon, the boys all met up in the park nearby, Midorima carrying the ball between his taped fingers.

Murasakibara was idly snacking on some pocky whilst Aomine and Kise made bets on who was going to win. Akashi stood off to the side a bit, trying to remember why he'd come to begin with. The others played without him for a long while, the redhead pretending to be a referee, though he paid hardly any attention to the game.

When night fell, they decided to go their separate ways. Akashi felt a strange twinge in his gut as he watched their backs disappear into the distance, but he shrugged it off and went on his way.

He'd later come to realize what that feeling was.

Akashi was awoken in the middle of the night by his ringing phone. Blinking his eyes open, he answered the device. "Hello?"

"A-Akashi-cchi..."

"Ryouta?" He could hear the blonde's tears and sobs through the phone. "What happened?"

"H-Hospital... now."

Akashi knew he wouldn't get anything else out of Kise. Not now anyway. "I'll be right there," he replied, clicking the end button and climbing out of bed to get dressed.

When he arrived at the hospital he was met with a distressed Murasakibara, quiet Midorima, and tearful Kise.

"Where's Daiki?"

Kise broke down immediately, and Midorima ushered him back to the waiting area to sit down.

Murasakibara sighed. "Aka-chin, Mine-chin was shot."

Akashi's eyes widened ever so slightly. "How?"

"There was a mugging going on, and he got in the middle of it."

"That idiot..."

Midorima came up behind them then. "I'm not sure of the details, but the doctor said he probably won't make it."

Akashi ran a hand down his face. "Ryouta's going to lose it."

"I think he already has, Aka-chin."

Akashi nodded. "You're right. But if Daiki doesn't pull through this, Ryouta will never be the same."

A silence fell between them, and all they could hear was Kise's muffled heart wrenching sobs.

XXX

Kuroko was walking around, pretending he was alive. He didn't even know why he was here. The only friend he'd ever made probably didn't even believe he existed anymore. It was wrong for him to have kept the truth from Akashi Seijuro, but in his defense, how do you go about telling someone you're dead?

As the bluenette passed by the hospital, he felt a strange feeling. A tingling sensation washed over him. If you'd ask him, he wouldn't be able to tell you why, but he went inside the large building, though he'd been trying to avoid places that harbored so many other ghosts for as long as he could.

He froze in his tracks, though, when he saw Akashi standing there in the lobby. What was going on? All he'd heard Akashi say was that "Ryouta would never be the same."

 _'What's wrong with Kise?'_ he wondered. But none of the boys were talking now. The room was almost eerily silent. The tingling in his body began to become more prominent, and Kuroko quickly shoved the thoughts out of his mind as he followed the invisible trail he felt compelled to.

Once he'd gone down a few corridors, the tingling stopped. Kuroko blinked and looked around, noting that only the room before him was occupied. Curious, he shifted through the door, looking upon a familiar boy.

Kuroko could tell he was dying. The boy's body was already becoming pale, and the bluenette could see the transparent energy surrounding him. It wasn't long before they were standing face to face.

"You're Aomine, aren't you?"

Aomine blinked, obviously confused. "Um, yeah. Who are you? Where am I?"

Kuroko frowned. "You're a friend of Akashi."

Aomine sighed, slightly annoyed. "Yes, now where am I?"

"Well, your body is in the hospital. Your soul, however, is in between planes."

Aomine raised a brow. "What?"

Kuroko frowned and pointed to the body behind them. "You're dead, Aomine."

Aomine scoffed as he turned, but he went, ironically, as white as a ghost when his eyes fell upon his deserted body. "What... How?"

"I'm not sure. I just got here."

Aomine turned back to him, a hint of rage in his eyes now. "And who the hell are you?"

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

Aomine blinked. "Kuroko..." He suddenly let out a loud bark of a laugh. "Ah, I get it. I'm going crazy, just like Akashi-"

"Akashi is not crazy!"

Aomine's eyes grew wide, and he stared into the face of an angered Kuroko. The boy was fuming. So much so, that the living might have been able to feel his tension.

"...Are you serious," Aomine muttered, his eyes suddenly dark and sad. "I'm.. dead?"

Kuroko's tension melted away immediately. "Yes, I'm sorry."

He frowned. "Can I... see them?"

XXX

Aomine shuddered as he stared at the sight of his friends. They were all visibly distressed- even Akashi, though slightly- but Kise was the absolute worse. If any of his fans had seen him like this, his modeling career would be over.

Aomine knelt before him, brushing his hand along the blonde's cheek. Kise's tears stopped momentarily, before he began crying even harder.

Aomine blinked, looking up to Kuroko in confusion. "Did he feel me?"

"It would seem so. Were you two close?"

A blush dusted his cheeks as he turned away. "You could say that."

Kuroko smiled softly. "The closer you are to someone, the easier it is to reach out to them."

There was silence before the larger male returned his gaze to Kuroko. "How did Akashi see you then?"

A pang resonated within Kuroko's chest, despite his being dead. "There are occasionally those who can see the dead. Akashi is one of those people."

Aomine looked confused as his eyes shifted to the redhead in questioning. "Then, why can't he see me?"

"It will take a few days before your spirit adjusts to this realm. At the moment, only other spirits can see you."

"So... why can't he see you?"

Kuroko froze, a slight grimace crossing his features. "I turned if off..."

"You can do that?"

"Yeah. It's pretty simple, really. It comes naturally once you've adjusted."

Aomine nodded. "So why then, did you turn it off? Akashi talked about you like he worshiped you. He was always so happy."

Kuroko frowned and looked to the floor. "I never told him what I was. I figured, once he found out, he'd hate me."

Aomine's eyes widened in shock, but he couldn't find the right words to say. Instead, he only turned back to the blonde before him, longing for one of his bright smiles to light up his ghostly world.


	3. Chapter 3

Days passed, and Kuroko and Aomine had been practically glued to one another. Aomine was beginning to get the hang of this ghost thing. Kuroko was just glad he finally had a friend again, though under such circumstances, he felt guilty for being so.

Aomine didn't seem too upset, though. In fact, the only thing that really bothered him was how Kise couldn't see him even when he was looking directly at him. It hurt his heart, Kuroko could tell, but the boy never said it aloud.

"Come on, there's got to be a way to reach out to them."

Kuroko sighed, he was on this topic again.

"I told you, Aomine, the only for sure way I know of is through Akashi."

Aomine groaned. "But that's _just Akashi!_ I want to talk to the others too!"

Kuroko frowned. "I know. And I'm working on that."

Aomine raised a brow. "How are you working on that?"

"Whilst I've been leaving you with Kise, I've been talking to other ghosts. There is a theory, but I'm trying to look into it more."

"What's the theory?"

Kuroko held still for a moment, debating within his mind. "It might sound stupid," he started, "but as I've mentioned before, ghosts have their own food-like substances, just as the living do."

Aomine nodded.

"And the more substance you have, the easier it is to control where you are or who can see you. But some ghosts say that if you have enough, you can also move things, even let the living hear your voice. And I think it may be possible to make our presences known to the average human eye, just as we would to those of Akashi."

Aomine blinked, long and slow. "You're right, that does sound stupid."

Kuroko shrugged. "I told you I was still working on it."

Aomine sighed, hanging his head. "Shit..."

Kuroko frowned, "I'm sorry, Aomine. It must be tough not being able to talk to your friends."

Aomine looked at him with a skeptical gaze. "Tetsu... did you have friends when you were alive?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No, I was very reclusive. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to adjust to being dead."

Aomine's face turned to a grimace. "So Akashi and I were your only friends?"

Kuroko's eyes widened, and he stood, frozen, staring into Aomine's eyes. Aomine blinked before realizing what he'd said, a tinge of red crossing his cheeks. "I-I mean, we're the only people you ever talked to, right?"

Kuroko smiled, a small giggle on his lips. "Yes, Aomine," he said softly, "you and Akashi were my only friends."

XXX

As time grew on, the ghost boys began spending less time together. They'd decided that they would hang out with each other during the day, and spend time alone in the evening. Neither had been specific, but they both knew what the other was doing. Whilst Aomine lay next to Kise, trying his best to hold him in his sleep, Kuroko was lying next to Akashi, watching him with an aching heart.

Kuroko was there now, in fact. He stared at Akashi's bare back, wishing he could still be alive, just for this boy. Sighing, the bluenette reached out a hand, fingers lightly tracing over Akashi's skin. Kuroko frowned, wondering what it would be like to truly feel his skin against his own. It'd been so long since Kuroko was strong enough to truly feel other living beings. Once Akashi had figured out what he was, he'd given up on keeping up his strength. It didn't matter now. His only living friend was gone.

Akashi suddenly groaned and sat up, a fierceness in his eyes. "Okay, I've ignored this as long as I can," he said, "I can't see you, but whoever the hell you are _, stop_ _touching me!_ Leave me alone."

Kuroko's eyes were wide, and if he'd been able to cry, he was sure he would be now. Akashi could feel him. He'd been able to for a while. He had _ignored_ him.

"Akashi…"

Akashi was still for a long moment, his eyes darting around the room, daring anyone to lay a finger on him. Finally, he sighed and lay back down, pulling the sheets up to his neck. Kuroko's dead heart hurt more than it ever had when he was alive, but he stayed there by the redhead's side until morning light.

So he couldn't touch Akashi anymore, but he couldn't help but stay with him. Seeing him in the hospital that day, after all that time, had stirred the feelings he'd tried so hard to ignore. He couldn't bring himself to leave this boy again. Not anytime soon.

XXX

The next day, Aomine could tell something was up with Kuroko. He was more curled into himself than usual, and the atmosphere around him was thick and heavy. "Ne, Tetsu, what's wrong?"

Kuroko shook his head. "Nothing, Aomine."

Aomine frowned. "Don't lie to me."

Kuroko sighed. "Akashi's been ignoring me."

The larger male blinked, confusion written on his face. "But I thought you flipped the switch before?"

"I did. But I found out last night he's been able to feel me when I touch him. For a while now."

"How'd you-"

"He told me to leave him alone."

Aomine fell silent. He'd figured it had something to do with the redhead, but this wasn't what he expected. "So… what are you going to do?"

Kuroko sighed deeply, looking at the ground. "I can't leave him again," he muttered, "so I guess I'll just have to be more careful."

XXX

That night, Kuroko had stared at Akashi until he'd fallen asleep, as usual. But he decided he was going to test his theory tonight, since Akashi would be here for a few hours, and Aomine would be expecting him in the morning. He used his energy to conjure a split in reality, shifting through the makeshift portal he'd created.

In this realm, there were many ghosts, most having made peace with being dead, and laughing with their ghostly friends. For once, Kuroko didn't feel so alone here, now that he had Aomine. But there was no time to linger on such thoughts, as he shook them from his hollowed head and made his way to where all of the ghosts' food was kept.

It wasn't like normal food. It was transparent, and had no taste, nor did it have a physical shape. In all actuality, it was merely energy that one could grasp. Kuroko gathered enough to keep him satisfied for a day or two, not really wanting to come back anytime soon, as the process of making such a portal was very draining. He soon emerged back into Akashi's room, lightly feeding on some of the food he'd brought with hm. Once he'd finished, he lay next to the redhead once more, where he stayed, eyes closed, until morning came.


	4. Chapter 4

Kuroko followed Akashi to school the next day, close on his heels. He was eager to see what he could do with his new strength. Once they'd arrived, he quickly found Aomine and explained what he'd done.

"So, what exactly are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I want Akashi to notice me, but I don't want him to hate me more…"

Aomine sighed and karate chopped his hand on top of the other's head, ignoring his mutter of 'pain.' "Akashi hates everyone _but_ you, Tetsu."

Kuroko sighed. He didn't believe that, but he knew by now arguing with Aomine was always useless. "What do I do though?"

Aomine closed his eyes as he breathed out a heavy sigh, thinking for a long moment. "You could start with something simple," he said finally, "like moving a book or something."

"There really is no way to prove to him it's me, is there?"

Aomine frowned, his expression almost apologetic. "Probably not until you've regained enough strength to do something more dramatic. I still don't understand why you don't just flip the switch though."

"Why don't you?"

He froze, blinking. "Well, y-you know…"

Kuroko stared at him in silence, his expression unwavering, yet Aomine could feel the smugness radiating from him.

"Fine, I get it. You don't want to hurt him anymore. But Tetsu, you're the only thing that made him happy to begin with!"

"And I ruined it, Aomine. Until I hear Akashi's current feelings toward me, I will not show him my face."

Aomine grit his teeth and looked away. "So stubborn," he muttered.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, I am. And I believe for good reason."

XXX

In the end, nothing Kuroko had tried that day had gotten Akashi's attention. He was saddened, but he didn't give up. For the next two weeks, he repeated his ritual of rummaging the ghost realm's "kitchen". Every day, he could feel more and more strength flowing through his spirit body. Aomine had also begun attaining sustenance, and he was well on his way to being stronger than Kuroko had ever been.

One day, whilst the two were watching the basketball team's practice, Kuroko turned to Aomine and said, "I think I'm ready now."

Aomine only glanced at him from the corner of his eye before looking back to the practice game. "What do you plan on doing?"

Kuroko's eyes narrowed as he steeled himself. "I'm going to play."

Aomine suddenly turned to look at him, his expression entirely confused and shocked. "You're going to do _what?"_

Kuroko nodded. "I'm going to play. Only for a moment."

Aomine could only stare in shocked silence as Kuroko crossed the court and positioned himself beside Akashi and the ball. Akashi dribbled slowly, his eyes dead. Kuroko could tell he was bored, and a pang shot through his hollow chest. He ignored it, however, just before he reached a hand out and stole the ball.

Akashi and the others stared at the ball in disbelief, but Kuroko didn't have time to read their reactions. He wasn't through yet. In one swift moment, he'd stolen the ball, turned, and shot it toward the basket. The ball hit the rim and bounced off, the echo loud and eerie in the newfound silence.

Kuroko turned to Akashi to see his dumbfounded expression, but it didn't last long. His face quickly grew into a scowl, and he huffed out a heavy breath as he turned to retreat to the locker room.

Kuroko, exhausted already, went after him, passing Aomine on the way.

"Tetsu," the larger male said softly, "you suck."

Kuroko smiled at him. "That's how he'll know it's me."

XXX

In the locker room, Akashi kicked a bench with all his might, sending it across the room. When Kuroko came in, the redhead was fuming. He felt bad for having caused this, but he couldn't allow himself to think about it now.

He walked closer to Akashi, building his strength in case he'd need it again in a moment, but Akashi quickly put an end to that.

"Whoever the hell you are, cut it out. I don't want to be _friends_ or whatever. I have all the friends I need, so just leave me alone!" Kuroko frowned, watching as Akashi sank to the floor, his head cradled in his hands. "I don't want anything to do with ghosts."

And with that, Kuroko's deadened heart broke into a thousand pieces, as did his spirit. "Okay, Akashi," he muttered, his eyes stinging as if he were about to cry, "I understand."

XXX

Aomine watched Kuroko with a wary eye. Even after Akashi had come back, cool and collected, Kuroko had stayed behind for quite some time.

"What happened?" Aomine asked, uncharacteristically hesitant.

"He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"What? That's crazy!"

Kuroko shook his head. "He told me point-blank."

"Wait, did he see you?"

"No… But he said he had all the friends he needed, and he wanted nothing to do with ghosts."

Aomine frowned, whilst Kuroko simply stared off into nothingness. His expression was completely blank, but Aomine could feel the hurt resonating from his ghostly friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tiny chapter is tiny. Even though it's technically three pages, it's mostly short dialogue. I actually may update twice today because of that.**  
 **-On another note, this story will have 13 chapters.**

* * *

After that day, Kuroko no longer followed Akashi. He couldn't bring himself to be around someone who obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Still, he continued his mission in attaining sustenance, to eventually test the theory he'd mentioned to Aomine, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

Aomine was also occasionally building his strength, but for a slightly different reason. Sure, he wanted to be able to talk to Kise, hold him even, but he was absolutely pissed at Akashi. He was planning on confronting the redhead, and he wanted to make sure he had the energy to make him listen.

Finally, he decided the day had come. Akashi had chosen to stay late after practice was over. Aomine sighed and walked over to Akashi, standing only a few feet behind him. He concentrated for a just a moment to make himself visible.

"Akashi."

The redhead visibly flinched before turning his wide eyes to the ghost before him. "D-Daiki…"

Aomine frowned deeply. "You have all the friends you need, huh?"

Akashi's eyes widened further, though Aomine had previously thought it impossible. "Y-you… was it y-"

"No, I heard."

"Then w-who.."

"Tetsu."

The redhead's brows furrowed. "Tet..su..?"

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Dumbass, Tetsuya."

All colour drained from Akashi's face. His eyes were frozen, distant, and Aomine thought the boy might faint. Akashi couldn't believe this.

"K-Kuroko…?"

"So you do remember him."

"O-of course I remember him! He was my best friend!"

Aomine jumped from the shout, dumbfounded. Akashi rarely showed any emotion, let alone this much at once. It took a moment, but the blue haired ghost finally composed himself, closing his eyes.

"I knew you wouldn't forget. But Tetsu thinks you have."

Akashi was silent for a long moment before he slowly fell to his knees, tears coming to his usually dead eyes. "I-I told him… I didn't w-want…"

No more words would come, and all he could do was choke on his own sobs. Aomine sighed, not really the one for emotional encounters. But this was for his friends.

"Oi, relax, Akashi. I'll get Tetsu to come back. You can set things straight."

XXX

"You did _what?"_

Aomine sighed, looking off into the distance. Kuroko was far too close to him, almost chest to chest.

"What gave you the right to do that, Aomine?"

"Shut up, Tetsu, I was just trying to help! At least something's been done now! He wants to see you!"

Kuroko sighed and fell away from Aomine. "I understand that you're trying to help, but don't do something like that without asking…"

"You would've said no, and then you'd never know how he truly felt, and you'd be sad forever!"

Kuroko was silent. He had nothing to say to that, for he was right. And forever was an awful long time. "You're right, Aomine," he said softly, "I'm sorry. When can I see him?"

Aomine's lips quirked up into a tiny smile. "How about now?"

XXX

It didn't take long for the ghosts to find Akashi. In fact, he hadn't even left the gymnasium yet. He continued to sit there on his knees, staring off into space. His tears had long since dried, but his eyes were still red and swollen.

Whilst the others were just outside the doors, they both became visible, and Kuroko took a deep breath before following Aomine inside. Though his undead heart seemed to be aching in his chest, he knew he couldn't turn back now. This was what he'd been waiting for.

Akashi immediately jerked his head up to watch them enter, his eyes welling up with tears once again at the sight of his lost friend. "K-Kuroko…"

Kuroko hesitantly walked over to the redhead and sat in front of him, whilst Aomine wandered off to the side of the room. "Akashi…"

Akashi's heart was pounding in his chest, and he almost thought it might jump out and leap into Kuroko's soft, cold hands.

"I thought," Kuroko muttered, "you hated me…"

Akashi's eyes grew wide, and he sat forward instinctively, his hand resting upon Kuroko's. "No, Kuroko, how could you think that? I could never hate you, I-" Kuroko's eyes were wide, and a small ghostly blush had appeared on his face. Akashi smiled through his tears. "I love you, Kuroko. I've hated myself for so long for having let you go."

Kuroko was frozen in his place. He wanted to tell Akashi he shouldn't ever hate himself, that there was nothing he could've done anyway. He was _ghost_ for pity's sake. But all those thoughts were drowned out in his mind by another. "Y-you… love m-me?"

Akashi suddenly developed the deepest blush Kuroko had ever seen, so red it rivaled his hair. "I-I mean, well," he sighed and looked away, "yeah… I didn't realize until after you left, but yes, Kuroko, I love you."

A long silence ensued, and Akashi was visibly becoming more and more nervous, avoiding Kuroko's gaze at all costs. A small laugh escaped the bluenette's lips, and Akashi froze, waiting for the rejection he felt was sure to come.

"I've waited so long to hear that, Akashi," Kuroko said as he pulled Akashi's face to look at him. "I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Also tiny. Rare additional update.**

* * *

The next few days for Akashi were spent catching up with his long-lost friend. He'd made many excuses to avoid his friends' company, even being the first to leave basketball practice most of the time. But it was worth it. The redhead had learned that Kuroko had died just a few months before they'd first met- he'd been in a car accident, and held in a coma for a month and a half before being released into the spirit world. It hurt Akashi's heart, but he quickly brightened when Kuroko had pointed out that the two probably would never had met otherwise.

He'd also learned why Kuroko had left so suddenly, with no warning or even a real goodbye. Akashi listened intently to his explanation of worry and grief, nodding understandingly. Kuroko was a good-natured boy, he'd always known, but listening to him talk was more than enlightening. Though they hadn't spoken in years, Akashi already felt as though he knew all there was to know about him. In truth, he probably knew more than Kuroko knew himself.

What had really sparked the redhead's interest though, was the theory Kuroko had mentioned. The theory that he may soon be able to interact with the human world, in some shape or form. This made Akashi very happy, and very impatient.

"How long will it take?"

Kuroko smiled sadly. Though he had explained the situation to Akashi many times, he still asked the same questions. "I don't know, Akashi. I don't even know if it'll work."

The redhead bit his lip, obviously trying to bite back another redundant question, but he soon lost to his own tongue. "How much of it do you need?"

The bluenette sighed softly, and Akashi instantly turned his gaze to the ground, feeling ashamed for asking such ridiculous questions. Kuroko frowned at the sight, something prickling at the edge of his mind. He paused, "Akashi."

The other boy looked back up to him curiously, the shame disappearing from his face. "Yes, Kuroko?"

"I ate a bit extra yesterday. How about we play some?"

Akashi blinked. "Play..?"

The bluenette smiled, nodding toward the basketball by the redhead's feet. "Basketball."

Akashi instantly perked up at the idea. "Alright~"

"Eh, mind if I invite Aomine?"

"Of course not, I miss playing with him. But, uh, how are you going to do that? He's not here."

Kuroko smiled, holding up his finger. "One second." Before Akashi could say a word, the bluenette had vanished, willing himself to where he knew Aomine would be.

Sure enough, when the bluenette arrived at Kise's house, he found Aomine sitting lazily on the sofa as he watched the blonde sift through his homework. His dark eyes glanced up at the new energy he felt, recognizing it as Kuroko's by now.

"Hey, Tetsu. I thought you were with Akashi."

The smaller boy nodded, walking closer to Aomine. He looked to Kise, frowning. "We're going to play some basketball. We thought you might want to join."

At the very mention of the word, Aomine's eyes brightened, and he sat a little straighter. "Hell yeah, I would. I only wish Kise could join us too."

Kuroko smiled apologetically, placing his hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "I know, Aomine. Soon, perhaps."

XXX

Two hours later, Akashi fell onto the court's bench, panting heavily with a large grin on his face. "I can't believe you made it all the way through."

Kuroko smiled as he fell at the redhead's feet, looking up at him tiredly. "Me neither. I feel like I might pass through the realms any minute now."

Suddenly Akashi's smile disappeared, replaced by fear, but Kuroko's small laugh pushed it away.

"Matter of speech, Akashi. Don't worry."

Aomine snorted as he too sat on the bench, a little ways from Akashi. "That wasn't so bad."

"You've been storing your energy well, Aomine. How do you not use it?"

The tanned ghost frowned, his eyes darkening. "The only thing I could use it for on my own is touching Kise. And he starts crying every time I do that."

Silence fell between the three, until Akashi turned his crimson eyes to the saddened man. "Perhaps I could assist you, Daiki."

He grunted. "How so?"

"I could subtly tell Kise you're still around. Maybe then when you touched him, he wouldn't feel like he was just going crazy."

Aomine thought it over for a moment before slowly nodding. "That'd be nice. Thanks, Akashi."


	7. Chapter 7

Akashi had never been one to beat around the bush. He was rarely considerate of others' feelings and emotions, for he always knew best; naturally, they should simply accept his words. But this particular situation was different. Kise was an absolute wreck at the very mention of Aomine. And though Akashi was rarely considerate, he had to be in order to make the blonde understand. Or else, he'd be dealing with a walking waterfall for who knows how long.

The problem was, the redhead didn't even know how to be subtle. For him, there was putting something point-blank, or keeping his thoughts to himself. There simply was no in between. He sighed to himself as he stared at the blonde, just a few feet away. Finally, he pushed his apprehension down, deciding it was now or never.

Akashi calmly walked over to Kise, tapping him on the shoulder. The blonde jumped at the mere contact, and by the look on his face, Akashi determined this was going to be more difficult than he thought.

"A-Akashi-cchi? What's wrong?"

The redhead bit back a sigh, trying to keep his exterior void of emotion. Perhaps that was not the way to go, but he really didn't know how else to approach the situation. "Ryouta, do you believe in the afterlife?"

The blonde blinked at him, his golden eyes widening slightly. "Y-yeah, why?"

"What about an in between plane of existence?"

"…Like, ghosts?"

He nodded.

Kise smiled, but it was dark, and Akashi decided it didn't suit the bubbly blonde at all. "I w-want to, but no. M-Midorima-cchi said there w-was no scientific e-evidence." Akashi's lips turned down in a slight frown as Kise's eyes pooled with tears. He swiped at his eyes, laughing at himself. "S-sorry."

The redhead shook his head. "Not at all. You're still grieving." He paused, gauging the situation. But this time, he really had no idea what he was doing at all. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to take the risk. "I, for one, believe in ghosts."

Not knowing what else to say, Akashi made his exit, leaving the blonde to break down alone.

XXX

"How did he take it?"

Akashi sighed lightly, his heart beating rather fast as Aomine had merely appeared right before him. "First of all, Daiki, it's rude to randomly appear like that."

The tanned man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. What happened?"

Biting the inside of his lip, he sighed again. "He doesn't believe in ghosts."

Aomine's expression twisted into a grimace of sorts. "Since when? He used to be terrified!"

"Shintaro has apparently changed his mind with his scientific logic."

"Tsk, that shit…"

"… Did you ever think that perhaps Ryouta only believed in ghosts because he had you to protect him?"

Aomine blinked, his brows furrowing as he thought about it. "You mean, he was faking it?"

"Hm, not so much as faking. Just, pushing himself to believe."

The taller man's dark eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded. "You think that's why Midorima changed his mind so quick."

Akashi nodded. "It isn't like Ryouta to simply stop believing in something, no matter how unscientific."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Akashi nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to find Kuroko smiling innocently up at him. "Damn you both."

"Ne, what'd I do, Akashi~?"

The redhead breathed out a sigh as he pushed past the ghosts, making his way to the gym for practice. "I'll catch up with you later," he called.

Kuroko smiled as he looked up toward Aomine. "Who does he think he's talking to?"

The tanned man snorted. "A pair of harmless ghosts or something."

A small laugh escaped Kuroko's throat as they both headed toward the gym as well, hoping to catch Akashi off guard again.

And so they did. In the middle of the redhead's play, Kuroko suddenly appeared to his left, waving happily as a large grin stretched onto his face. Akashi fumbled, his heart racing as Midorima stole the ball from him, sinking a three pointer before he could even move a muscle.

The green haired boy raised a brow skeptically, adjusting his glasses. "You seem rather off today, Akashi."

"Shut up," he muttered dangerously, "Keep running the plays." He stormed off of the court, shooting a glare toward Kuroko as he passed by. With his back turned to his teammates, he growled at his dead friends. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

Kuroko smiled up at him innocently, whilst Aomine refused to look him in the eye. "We wanna play too~"

Akashi rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fuck, you're going to be the death of me."

"Hey, it's not so bad," Aomine chipped in, grinning at his own joke.

The redhead simply glared at him for a long moment before a heavy sigh fell from his lips. "Whatever. Don't do that during practice. Or anytime, for that matter. What happened to your manners, Kuroko?" He turned and made his way back to the court, not waiting for a response.

Kuroko laughed softly to himself, looking on with interest. "He's just mad because we scared him."

Aomine chuckled. "Being a ghost really isn't that bad when you can mess with people."

And that was when Kuroko's eyes sparked with mischief. "Aomine~ Let's mess with more people~"

The dark skinned ghost glanced at him curiously, following his gaze to his own former teammates on the court. He grinned. "Ghostly pranks? I'm in."


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so no ghostly pranks in this one, but next time, kk? ^^ but a lil tiny bit of AkaKuro fluff to hopefully make up for it~ *heart***

* * *

"When my mother died, I could still feel her for a long time."

Kise blinked, looking up from his textbook to find Akashi sitting atop the table, staring at him seemingly disinterestedly. The blonde sighed, pushing the book aside. He sat back so that he could look at the redhead without straining his neck.

"Is this where I'm supposed to say I can feel Aomine-cchi, Akashi-cchi?"

The redhead merely looked away, crimson eyes scanning the shelves of books around them. "No, I know you do. That's why you randomly start crying in class sometimes. And even practice."

Kise stilled, staring at his friend. "You think you know everything, don't you?"

He glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "On the contrary. I have no idea what I'm doing right now."

The blonde's brows knitted together as he tried to understand Akashi's words. "What are you trying to do?"

Sighing, the redhead turned back to face Kise directly. "I'm trying to tell you that Daiki is still here. I'm trying to be considerate of your feelings as well, but I'm failing horribly, and I don't like it."

Kise blinked up at him, golden eyes widened to their fullest extent. It wasn't long before tears were streaming down his face once more, his head buried in his hands as he choked on his own sobs.

Akashi sighed before noticing a figure making its way over to them. He looked up to find an old woman, glasses perched atop her nose and scowl in place.

"This is a library, boys. No sitting on the table, and-" She paused, brows crinkling as she took in Kise's appearance. "Er, no crying?"

Akashi hopped off the table, smiling apologetically. "My apologies, ma'am. I'll take care of him."

The woman nodded and walked away slowly, still watching the scene over her shoulder as Akashi helped Kise out of the room.

XXX

It was just before practice began that Midorima confronted Akashi, a grim scowl on his face.

"Akashi, what have you done to Kise?"

The redhead looked up at him for merely a moment before returning his gaze to his untied shoes. "I don't know what you mean, Shintaro."

"Oha Asa said that someone close would make a Gemini cry today. You are the only one that has seen Kise all day, and he's obviously been crying."

A small, inaudible sigh passed through Akashi's lips. "I had a simple talk with him."

"About Aomine?"

The redhead didn't answer, focusing solely on his shoes as he finished tying their laces.

"Akashi, you know I'm not one to question you, or defy you in any way." The green haired boy pushed his glasses up, his matching eyes darkening dangerously. "But if you continue to make Kise cry, I will have to put an end to it."

Akashi looked up at the taller boy with a blank expression. Normally, he would be quick to put Midorima back in his place, but he simply didn't feel like doing so today. He sighed. "Of course you will. I assume if you're talking to me then you're prepared for practice?"

Midorima stared at him in silence for another moment before turning away and heading to the gym. Akashi watched him leave, surprised that Midorima had even spoken up in Kise's defense. Despite the situation, he had to smile at that.

XXX

That evening, Akashi lounged about in his room, Aomine lying beside him whilst Kuroko sat cross-legged on the floor. The dark skinned ghost and redhead were deep in conversation, reminiscing their times with their friends.

"Shintaro's face was priceless when he realized Atsushi had eaten his lucky candy bar."

Aomine laughed heartily, nodding. "Ah, it was great! And that one time I put pink hair dye in Murasakibara's shampoo?"

"He didn't seem fazed at all."

"I know, but he looked hilarious!"

The two boys shared another laugh, unusual for both of them, before Akashi turned his crimson eyes to the floor. His laugh died on his lips as he noticed Kuroko's distant expression.

"Kuroko?"

The bluenette blinked, looking back up to him. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking."

Aomine's brows furrowed as he flipped over onto his stomach, looking down at his new friend. "Oi, don't tell me you're jealous of our stories," he said. "Akashi usually won't shut up about you."

Kuroko smiled softly, but it didn't reach his eyes. He shook his head. "No, that's not it."

Akashi frowned, reaching out to lightly stroke the ghost's cold cheek. "What is it, then, love?"

The bluenette's ghostly cheeks brightened slightly as he looked away. "It's just that… We're close, aren't we, Akashi?"

The redhead blinked. "Of course, Kuroko." He watched as the slightly smaller male flinched at his name, and he suddenly knew where this was going.

"So, why.. Why do you call me Kuroko?"

Akashi smiled, a light laugh on his lips. Kuroko turned his gaze back to him at the sound, worried that Akashi was making fun of him. "I call you Kuroko out of respect. I wasn't sure you wanted me to call you by your given name, _Tetsuya."_

Kuroko shivered at the sound of his name on Akashi's tongue, his cheeks burning brighter. "O-oh…"

"Oi, get a room!" Aomine groaned.

Akashi laughed softly as a smirk grew onto his lips. "First off, this is my room. And also~ Tetsuya~" His smirk grew with Kuroko's blush. "We should definitely try that sometime. A more intimate interaction, I mean."

"A-Akashi!"

He grinned, reaching a finger out to shush the bluenette. "If I call you Tetsuya, you have to call me Seijuro."

Kuroko's cheeks were now redder than Akashi's hair. "S-Seijuro…"

He smiled. "That's better."


	9. Chapter 9

During the time that Akashi was in class, Kuroko and Aomine had been plotting. It wasn't much, but they'd finally decided on the pranks they were going to pull.

One evening, after practice, the two ghosts stayed behind in the gym. They were sure Akashi was on edge, waiting for them to appear at any moment as he walked home, but they couldn't exactly tell him what they were doing. That would ruin the suspense.

It wasn't long before Midorima appeared, placing his lucky item upon the bench before making his way to the basketball cart. Kuroko looked up at Aomine curiously. "Does he really shoot every ball before going home?"

The tanned man nodded, his arms behind his head as he stared at the green haired boy lazily. "Yeah, every evening."

"… Dedicated."

Aomine snorted. "Weird."

Kuroko smiled at the comment before heading over to the bench. He tilted his head at the toy penguin perched on the bench. "What's with the toys?"

Aomine sighed, following the smaller ghost. "He says it's some lucky item thing. He comes in with a different one every day. He spends way too much time in the freaky horoscope world."

Kuroko smiled softly, gingerly picking up the item. "Hey, this isn't as hard as I thought it would be."

The other male raised a brow at him. "You've been eating a lot, right? Things like this aren't really that tiring if you're well fed."

Kuroko laughed softly as he twisted the toy between his fingers, elated that he wasn't tiring in the slightest.

"Oi, let's do this."

"Right." Kuroko bounded over to Midorima, a mischievous grin on his lips. As soon as Midorima shot the ball, the bluenette poked the penguin into his line of vision. He laughed as the green haired boy's eyes widened, his feet stumbling backward.

"What the-" He paused, adjusting his glasses as he leaned in closer, examining the penguin for any unseen strings. He sighed, looking around. "Is someone playing a prank on me?" he muttered.

Kuroko giggled to himself, waving Aomine over. The tanned male grinned as he stepped behind the toy. "Midorima," he said, raising his voice in hopes the boy could hear him.

Midorima stepped back, his eyes darting around the room once more. "Who's there?" he called out.

Aomine snickered to himself, sharing a look with Kuroko. "It's me, the penguin!"

Midorima's brows furrowed as he stared at the toy, trying to come up with a plausible explanation in his mind. "There has to be some hidden string somewhere, and a voice box on top of that."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Nope~ Just a penguin! Oi, Midorima, do you remember having yellow hair?"

The green haired boy's eyes widened as he stared through the toy, almost directly into Aomine's eyes. His heart was beating frantically within his chest. Only one person had known about that incident. He had made sure not to leave his home until all the dye was out. And the person that had been behind that ridiculous act, was none other than Aomine himself.

"A-Aomine?"

The said ghost grinned. "Ah, what's up with your scientific explanation now?" he taunted.

"…Shit, Akashi was right. Kise's going to be thrilled." The next second, the two ghosts were watching Midorima's back as he ran out of the gym.

Aomine blinked, turning to Kuroko. "You think Kise will believe him now?"

The smaller ghost shrugged. "We'll find out soon, I suppose."

XXX

The next day, Kuroko met up with Aomine outside of Akashi's classroom. He'd been hoping for a bright, cheerful smile from the taller boy, but he'd only received a saddened grimace.

"He still doesn't believe?"

Aomine shook his head somberly. "He accused Midorima of being on drugs."

Kuroko sighed. "Well, Ak- Seijuro, is going to try again today."

"That's probably not a good idea."

"Eh?"

"Kise got violent last night after Midorima left. He trashed his whole place."

Kuroko frowned, unsure of what to say. "He'll come around, Aomine."

The tanned man shrugged. "Whatever. We still on for today?"

A small, sad smile tugged at Kuroko's lips. "Of course, if you're still up for it."

"Duh."

XXX

The duo decided on putting their plan into motion at lunch this time. Or rather, just before lunch. Kuroko appeared in Murasakibara's classroom, carefully removing some of the sweets from the giant's bag. Grinning to himself, the bluenette willed himself back to Aomine's side in the cafeteria, where the two waited for their victim.

It wasn't long before Aomine's former teammates were all seated around the table, and they watched in eager anticipation as Murasakibara fumbled through his bag. The purple headed boy frowned deeply, glaring holes into his bag as he sifted through it once more. Finally, he turned his violet gaze to the rest of the group, death evident in their depths.

"Alright, who stole them?"

He received many confused stares, but he just knew it had to be one of them. Little did he know that two ghosts sat at the table as well, laughing to themselves as they watched the scene unfold.

"Stole what, exactly, Murasakibara-cchi?"

Murasakibara turned his glare to Kise, making the blonde flinch in fear. "My snacks. Half of them are gone."

"Atsushi, no one touches your snacks. We're not that idiotic," Akashi commented, shooting a warning glare directly toward the ghosts.

"Eh, I thought he couldn't see us if we flipped it!" Aomine muttered.

Kuroko shuddered, cringing away from the redhead's gaze. "I think he just took a guess."

"Well someone stole them!"

Midorima's eyes widened, and he leaned in toward the center of the group, eyes wildly darting about. "It's him."

Kise rolled his eyes, huffing out an exasperated sigh. "Really, Midorima-cchi? First Akashi-cchi, now you? Are you going to tell me you believe in ghosts too, Murasakibara-cchi?"

The purple headed boy growled, completely ignoring the question. "I want my snacks!"

"Think about it!" Midorima exclaimed, "If it were Aomine, he'd be in the perfect position not to get caught! He can do anything and get away with it!"

"Aomine is dead, Midorima!"

The table fell silent, all eyes locked onto Kise after his uncharacteristic outburst. Aomine's previous smile faded, and he stared longingly toward his blonde.

"Kise…"

The blonde shuddered, but showed no other sign of acknowledging the ghost beside him.

Akashi sighed under his breath, eyes softening as he continued to stare at the space he hoped his dead friends were. He gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod, and Aomine immediately understood.

Reaching into his ghostly pocket, he pulled out a tiny piece of candy. He glanced toward Kise one last time before throwing the candy at Murasakibara.

The purple headed boy's grimace was soon replaced with an expression of wonder as he saw the candy flying toward him. Somehow he managed to use his basketball reflexes to catch the treat between his fingers. His purple eyes stared at the sweet for a long time until they found their way to Kise's shocked face.

The blonde quickly snapped himself out of his stupor, shaking his head. "No," he said, "No, there's a scientific explanation for that, and it's not a ghost. If Midorima won't be the logical one anymore, I will. This is absurd." Kise quickly stood up, grabbing his food as he left in a hurry.

Murasakibara looked to the space where his candy had appeared. "Mine-chin, I'd like my candy back."

Sighing, Aomine stood to his feet, emptying his pockets onto the table as the others looked on with wide eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

"Wait, you can see him?"

Akashi continued flipping through the pages of a book, seemingly uninterested in his conversation with his teammates. Midorima was staring at him incredulously, whilst Murasakibara chomped on a candy bar, his purple brows furrowing.

"Not only him, but Tetsuya, as well. And any other ghost that wishes to be seen."

Midorima pushed his glasses back into place as he continued staring at the redhead. "Tetsuya?"

"Oh, Kuroko."

"… Kuroko? That imaginary boy you used to-" Midorima cut himself off, if not for the sudden realization that hit him, then for the deathly glare pointed his way. "He was real…"

"Did you really think me childish enough to imagine such a thing, Shintaro?"

The green haired boy merely blinked. "I didn't know what to think. All I knew was that I couldn't see him."

Akashi's glare vanished as he returned his gaze to the book in his hands. "Soon enough, Shintaro, you will see them."

"Ne, how are we going to see ghosts, Aka-chin?"

The redhead didn't bother lifting his crimson eyes to Murasakibara's, instead turning to the next page. "If they accumulate enough strength, they will be able to appear before the naked human eye. You will see them, as I do."

Murasakibara blinked, turning to Midorima for a translation. The green haired boy sighed. "If they're strong enough, anyone can see."

"…Even Kise-chin?"

Silence filled the room immediately, the air growing heavy in a matter of seconds. Akashi continued to stare through the pages of his book, thinking. "He will see. The question is, will he believe?"

XXX

"Seijuro~" Kuroko beamed up at the redhead as he entered his room, dropping his bag and coat beside the door.

Akashi smiled at the ghost, lightly pecking his cheek. He paused, his face still close to Kuroko's. "Tetsuya, your skin isn't as cold as usual."

Kuroko's cheeks flushed at the redhead's breath on his skin, and he lightly touched his own cheek. "It isn't?"

"No, and actually, you look more… solid."

Aomine, who had previously been ignored, came closer to the two. Examining his ghostly friend, he nodded. "He's right. You're not as translucent."

Kuroko's brows furrowed slightly as he held his arms out before him, staring at his skin. "I don't understand…"

Aomine shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head as he fell backward onto Akashi's bed. "Maybe it's from your strength."

"Maybe…"

Akashi continued watching the bluenette for another moment, before smiling at him as he kissed his cheek once more. "Never mind that for now. I told the others I could see you."

Both ghosts' ears were instantly perked as Akashi sat on the edge of his bed.

"How'd they take it?" Aomine asked, sitting up to see his friend's expression.

"Shintaro and Atsushi believe me. Ryouta was not in the room."

"Eh, I know. I was with him. He was too busy crying in the bathroom stalls."

Kuroko frowned, placing a comforting hand on the tanned male's shoulder. "He'll come around."

Aomine shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"… Aomine, I know we said we wouldn't, but-" The tanned ghost's eyes shot up to Kuroko's, wide and knowing. The intensity of his stare caused the smaller male's words to die on his lips.

"… I don't want to hurt him more, Tetsu."

Kuroko nodded slowly. "I know. But can you think of another way?"

"..." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "No…"

Akashi's eyes flickered between the two, his curiosity growing by the second. "What exactly are we discussing?" he finally asked.

Aomine looked up at him, his eyes filled with a dangerous mixture of resolve and fear. "We're going to make Kise believe."

XXX

Doing that had certainly proven itself to be harder than imagined, but the ghosts were determined- somewhat. Aomine continued to change his mind every five minutes, until Kuroko finally shushed him.

"Aomine, we're doing this. There is no other option."

That seemed to get through the tanned man's skull, and he nodded, following Kuroko through the school halls.

The plan was simple: follow Kise throughout the day, and do anything they could to make him believe, without bringing too much attention to themselves.

Well, simple in theory.

Kuroko currently sat atop Kise's desk, watching as the blonde stared straight past him. "Ne, what to do…" Hesitantly, he reached for the blonde's pencil, sat neatly atop his notebook. He stared at Kise as he lifted the object before his eyes, gauging his reaction.

Kise's eyes widened by a tiny fraction before he merely lifted his hand, pushing the pencil back onto his desk.

Kuroko's brows furrowed. "But you don't believe?"

Next up was Aomine's turn. The bluenette waited over an hour before he gained the courage to do anything. Breathing out a shaky sigh, he walked up to the blonde. Leaning in close, he concentrated solely on his breaths as he breathed onto the back of Kise's neck.

Kise instantly shivered, swatting at the back of his neck, but he didn't turn around. Frowning, Aomine realized he would have to do something a little different. Looking back to Kuroko, he received a childish thumbs up and a prompting wave.

Sighing to himself, he reached for the blonde's notebook, pulling it clean off the desk. He made sure to let it linger in the air for a mere second before dropping it to the floor. Kise huffed under his breath, muttering curses as he bent down to retrieve the notebook, but otherwise seemed unfazed.

It was during lunch that the duo decided to kick it up a notch. Since the rest of the group already knew of their existence, it was the perfect time to do so.

Kuroko continuously moved Kise's food around the table all throughout lunch, causing the blonde to splutter curses every few seconds. Meanwhile, Aomine sifted through the blonde's bag, pulling out his cellphone. He pulled up some random notes app and began typing.

" _Kise, it's me, Aomine. Please believe me. I'm right beside you. Always."_

Sighing as he reread the message, he quickly put the phone away. He turned to Kuroko, easily grabbing the smaller boy's attention.

"I'm going outside for a minute. I need air."

At any other time, Kuroko would've made some crack about a ghost needing air, but the look on Aomine's face was enough to silence that thought before it even came into existence.

Once lunch was over, and Kuroko realized they had once again failed, Akashi decided to take another shot, himself.

As the others left, he beckoned for Kise to stay. Despite already knowing where this was going, Kise begrudgingly fell back into his chair.

"You still don't believe."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Of course not, it's ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous is that you've been experiencing paranormal activity all day, and you haven't batted an eye."

Kise pressed his lips into a thin line, regarding Akashi carefully. "You can't make me believe in something that's not real."

"But it is real. Why do you insist-"

"Because I can't!"

Akashi blinked as he was stunned into silence, his body suddenly rigid with shock. Kise squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to rid himself of the tears before they came. He bit back a sob as he looked back up to his friend.

"I can't, Akashi-cchi. I can't believe something like that. I want to, I do, but I can't."

Akashi frowned, his body relaxing. "Is it because you don't want to be fooled?"

The blonde shook his head, actually surprising the redhead. "No, I just… I don't want to be the reason he couldn't move on…"

The redhead's mouth fell open into a small 'o' shape, his crimson eyes never leaving the blonde's golden ones. He realized then that this was certainly going to be difficult. It was one thing to convince the blonde of Aomine's presence. It was a whole other to convince him it wasn't a bad thing.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Kuroko stood off to the side, listening to every word. He frowned, a sigh on his lips. "Kise, it wasn't because of you. It was for you…"

XXX

It was on his way home that Kise finally took out his phone. His eyes widened as he read the note, already pulled up on his screen. He read it again and again until his eyes blurred with tears. Smiling to himself as he swatted at the tears, he nodded.

"Okay," he whispered, "I believe you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Short chapter is short, I'm sorry ;A; -In case you were wondering, there will be 13 chapters of this story. Almost to the end, lovelies..~**

* * *

The next day, Kuroko and Akashi were both shocked to find a large grin on Aomine's face. Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention, Akashi spoke, his voice soft and quiet.

"Why are you so happy, Daiki?"

The bluenette was almost bouncing on his heels with joy. "He believes~ My note to him worked!"

Akashi and Kuroko's mouths both fell open as they stared at him, wide eyed.

"That's all it took?" Akashi mumbled, whilst Kuroko's lips turned up in an excited smile.

"That's great, Aomine! Did you get to touch him?"

A soft blush crossed the tan male's cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I held him in my arms all night. He still cried, but… He was smiling."

Akashi's crimson eyes flickered to the right, across Aomine's shoulder. He smiled, lifting his hand in a partial wave at seeing the very blonde they discussed.

Kise bit his lip nervously as he slowly made his way over to Akashi, and unknowingly, the ghosts as well.

"Alright, Akashi-cchi," he said with a small sigh, "I believe."

The redhead smiled kindly, nodding. "I heard."

The blonde's brows furrowed. "Eh?"

"Daiki was just telling me how he held you all night." He smiled to himself at the blush that crossed both men's faces.

"Y-you can hear him?"

He nodded. "I can see him, as plain as you can see me."

"…Why?"

Akashi blinked. It was the question that had haunted him from the moment he discovered his ability. He'd never found the answer, that being one reason he shut out the ghost realm completely. "I don't know, Ryouta."

Kise blinked at him in silence for a long while. "Well, uh… I'm gonna go to class now."

Akashi nodded, watching the blonde disappear into his classroom, the remnants of a blush still evident on his cheeks.

Kuroko turned to Aomine curiously. "You didn't let him see you?"

Aomine paused before shaking his head. "Something told me it just wasn't the right time."

Kuroko's brows furrowed as he brought his index finger to his lips, lightly nibbling on the tip. "I know what you mean. I feel like I should be saving all of my strength right now."

The taller ghost nodded, whilst Akashi looked on in interest. He was certainly curious, but seeing the looks on his friends' faces, he decided they really didn't have much to tell him at the moment. He sighed, gaining their attention.

"I must be going. I will see you later?"

Both nodded, and as Akashi began to turn away, Kuroko leapt forward, placing a quick kiss to the redhead's cheek.

Akashi's eyes widened as he looked back at Kuroko, the bluenette's cheeks already warmed by another blush. Kuroko fidgeted, avoiding his love's crimson eyes. "S-sorry, I just wanted to.. Er, have a good day, Seijuro~"

Before Akashi could react, Kuroko was gone. For a mere second, he felt a pang in his chest, remembering the last time such an occurrence had happened. Aomine saw the flicker of pain in those crimson eyes, and he clapped his ghostly hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"He just embarrassed himself. He'll be waiting for you later."

Akashi smiled, nodding as he made his way to class.

XXX

That afternoon, before basketball practice began, Akashi held a "meeting" in the locker room. Of course, they all knew what it would be about.

"When can we see them?" Murasakibara asked before they were all even in the room.

"Soon," was all Akashi said as they all sat on the benches.

"I want to see Aomine-cchi…"

A sad smile crossed the redhead's lips. "You will, Ryouta. I spoke with them this morning. They're currently building up their strength."

"How long will that take?" Midorima inquired.

The redhead sighed, glancing at Kuroko from the corner of his eye. He pretended not to notice the blush that instantly appeared as he turned back to his friend. "Honestly, I don't know. I've asked that question many times, myself."

"How… How do you know it'll work?" Kise questioned, his voice barely above a whisper.

Akashi was about to admit that he didn't know, when Aomine quickly interjected.

"It'll work. I don't know how well, but I talked to another guy that's done it."

The redhead smiled, looking back to Kise as he answered, "Apparently it's been done before."

That seemed to ease the tension in the blonde's shoulders, and he smiled, a true smile. His heart was already racing in his chest at the thought of seeing his boyfriend again.

"Akashi?"

"Yes, Shintaro?"

"You say you can see them. But can you feel them?"

Akashi smiled, gesturing toward Kise. "Why don't you ask Ryouta?"

Brows furrowing, the green haired boy turned to the blonde, who was already wearing a crimson blush.

"E-eh, I felt him…"

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Midorima nodded, turning his spectacled gaze to the floor in thought. "Interesting…"

"If Mine-chin steals my snacks again, I'll kill him."

"He's already a ghost, Atsushi."

"I'll kill him so hard he comes back to life. And then I'll kill him again."

Aomine laughed heartily at the purple headed giant's words, but Akashi was more concerned with the serious expression on his face. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he could truly read Murasakibara at all.


	12. Chapter 12

A few weeks had passed, and Aomine was almost always with Kise now, even during most of his classes. Kuroko was okay with this, though. It just meant more time for him to spend with Akashi.

On this particular Saturday, whilst Aomine was doing his thing with Kise, Kuroko was sprawled out on Akashi's bed. His blue eyes seemed to be focused on the ceiling above, but his mind was far from it.

Akashi stared at the bluenette for a long time, curious as to the thoughts in his love's head. Finally, he crawled closer to him, peeking at him from under his red fringe.

"Tetsuya? What are you thinking so intently about?"

Kuroko's eyes darted to the redhead's, instantly entranced by their crimson depths. "I was thinking, Seijuro, that maybe…"

Akashi blinked, waiting for the bluenette to finish. It soon became clear that he wouldn't continue without being prompted. The redhead raised his hand to gently caress the ghost's cheek. "Maybe…?"

Kuroko gulped, his cheeks burning, but he found he couldn't look away from Akashi's gaze. "M-maybe we could, um.. try that th-thing you mentioned."

The redhead tilted his head to the side, his curiosity more than piqued. "What thing would that be, Tetsuya?"

"Er.. The more intimate interaction…"

Akashi blinked, clarity rising within his crimson orbs. He paused. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

Kuroko's cheeks only grew warmer as he squirmed in his place. "S-since you said it…"

A soft smile grew onto the redhead's lips, but there was a glint in his eye, and Kuroko couldn't hold back the gasp on his own lips. Before the bluenette could say another word, Akashi was on top of him. He pinned his wrists to the bed, his lips fluttering over the ghost's cold skin.

"S-Seijuro?"

"Yes, Tetsuya?" he breathed, and the feeling sent a shiver down the bluenette's spine.

"I-I'm not even s-sure… we c-can-"

Akashi kissed his lips lightly, silencing Kuroko's protests. "It's okay, love," he whispered against his lips, "We don't have to try right now. We can just stay like this."

Kuroko bit his lip, but some of the tension fell from his shoulders. "H-how did you know I-I was scared?" he mumbled, barely audible.

Akashi smiled, kissing his neck lightly. "You don't give me enough credit, Tetsuya. I know you well, and I know that if it were to fail, you would blame yourself."

The bluenette was silent as Akashi continued to pepper his entire upper body with kisses, and occasional nips. Finally, Akashi sighed, coming back to his love's face. He looked deeply into the pools of blue he so often found himself lost in. "It's okay, Tetsuya. Relax. And at least kiss me back or something, I'm starting to feel inadequate."

Kuroko scoffed at the redhead's words but immediately obliged, wrapping his ghostly arms around the other boy's neck as he kissed him again.

XXX

It was around midnight when there was a knock at Akashi's door. Grumbling, he pulled himself out of bed, stumbling down the hall. Kuroko, though curious, simply stayed behind, hidden beneath the sheets.

In a matter of seconds, Akashi was back, Aomine in tow. That was when Kuroko sat up, his brows creasing together.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking between the two. Akashi quickly turned on his light so that they could see more clearly, before plopping down onto the bed. Silently, he pulled Kuroko into his chest, nodding to Aomine expectantly.

The tanned man breathed out a sigh, his eyes wide and filled with so many emotions. "Sorry to intrude, guys, but I couldn't wait."

Kuroko blinked. "It's so late."

"I know, I'm sorry. But, Tetsu, you're gonna love this."

At the sight of Aomine's bright grin, the tanned man bouncing on his heels, Kuroko gave up on trying to make sense of the situation himself. "What am I gonna love?"

He took a deep, excited breath. "I found a way to make us human."


	13. Chapter 13

Kuroko blinked up at the tanned man repeatedly, his eyes wide and mouth agape. "You.. What?"

Aomine continued to grin like a fool, his fingers twitching excitedly by his side. "I found a way to make us human!"

"H-how?"

"I was at Kise's, and there was an apple, and- It's a long story!"

Akashi rolled his eyes, inserting himself into the conversation. "Then start from the beginning. You're not making any sense."

Aomine nodded, closing his eyes as he took a deep, calming breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were still excited, but not the wild eyes of a hungry panther finding its first victim.

"Okay, I was at Kise's, and I finally decided it was time to show myself. So I was standing there in his kitchen, talking to him like I used to, and I saw this apple on the counter."

Kuroko nodded. "What does the apple-"

"Shh, let me finish~" he sang, momentarily losing his cool as he bounced on his heels. He sighed before continuing. "Naturally, I got curious as to what an apple tastes like to a ghost."

"So you tried it," Akashi finished.

The bluenette nodded. "Yes, and it was the best apple I've ever tasted~ But that's not the point! I noticed that after maybe four bites, I felt different. Then I noticed Kise staring at me incredulously, so I asked him what's up."

"And?" Kuroko prompted, patience wearing thin.

"And~ He said he'd just watched me become solid. He said at first I was kind of transparent and fuzzy around the edges, and now he could see me perfectly!"

"But that just proves my theory, Aomine. Food equals strength; strength equals visibility."

"Yes, but then I tried coming here! And, I couldn't. No matter what I did, I couldn't leave Kise's apartment without walking out the front door!"

Kuroko blinked at him continuously for a long moment. He titled his head, examining his friend more closely. "You do look different…" His blue eyes widened drastically as he realized an important factor. "A-Aomine… I can't feel you."

Aomine's eyes grew even wider, though it had seemed impossible. "You can't? That proves it then!"

Akashi's brows knitted together as he looked between the two. "Feel him?"

Kuroko turned his stunned gaze to the redhead. "Yes, as a ghost, I can feel the energies of other ghosts. Each ghost has a slightly different feeling, and I've gotten very used to Aomine's since his death. But he's standing right here, and I can't feel anything."

Aomine let out an uncharacteristic squeak, fist pumping the air. "Tetsu! I'm human!"

Kuroko smiled up at his friend, the feeling of tears burning his eyes. Unknowingly, he shed a single one, another sign that he too was slowly becoming human again.

"S-So do you think, the human f-food?"

Aomine nodded. "I think that was the final straw." He beamed down at the smaller bluenette, his eyes alight with sheer _life._ "I think it's time you ate some _real_ food, Tetsu."

XXX

Days passed, and Kuroko was still very much a ghost. Despite how much food he ate, from both realms, he simply couldn't live again. Akashi had insisted it was merely because he wasn't as strong as Aomine yet, but even the redhead was beginning to worry.

Kuroko was certainly becoming stronger, and saving up his strength well. So why wasn't he back in his own flesh again?

"Maybe I waited too long to try," Kuroko said one day, purposefully avoiding Akashi's panicked gaze. "I'm just dead forever."

Akashi shook his head, turning to firmly grasp Kuroko's shoulders as he forced their eyes to meet. "Tetsuya, don't say that. You can't give up. We're close, I can feel it."

Kuroko had forced a smile, grateful for the encouragement, even if he felt it was useless.

More long days stretched on, and whilst Aomine was out mingling with strangers- living, breathing strangers- Kuroko kept to himself in the confinement of Akashi's home.

The bluenette refused to even leave the bedroom unless it was to get more food from the kitchen. Then he would return to the bed, curling in on himself as he wondered what he'd done wrong.

Akashi had finally had enough of the bluenette's sulking, and he came home from school one day with the intent of getting Kuroko out of the house. And that, he did. At first he'd ordered Kuroko to leave with him, but the ghost had simply sighed, staring at the wall.

"Make me," he'd muttered.

Akashi had also sighed, knowing that he couldn't pick Kuroko up unless the ghost allowed him. "Please, Tetsuya?" he'd tried.

The bluenette shook his head before hiding his face in the redhead's pillows.

"… I miss playing basketball with you, Tetsuya… One on one, what do you say?"

There was a long stretch of silence before Kuroko slowly pulled himself up, looking to Akashi with his big blue eyes. And for the first time, his eyes really seemed dead. Akashi frowned internally, but offered a smile and a hand to hold.

Kuroko hesitantly placed his hand in the redhead's palm, and Akashi led him outside. Akashi had noticed how warm Kuroko's touch felt, but decided to bite his tongue on the matter.

It wasn't until the two were halfway through their game did it happen. Kise and Aomine came strutting onto the court, both wearing large smiles as the blonde waved.

"Akashi-cchi~ Can we play?"

Akashi glanced toward Kuroko before nodding, hesitant. "The more the merrier."

Kuroko instinctively curled into himself, wanting to disappear, but not wanting to leave his love. However, his ears perked up immediately at the blonde's next words.

"Ne, is that Kuroko-cchi?"

The bluenette turned back to find Akashi staring at him curiously.

"I thought you said you didn't flip the switch."

Kuroko's eyes were wide as he looked between the three of them. "I-I didn't. I'm s-so bad that it l-looks like you're playing y-yourself, I have no reason to!"

They stared at each other for a long while, until Akashi's lips quirked up the tiniest bit. He turned his crimson eyes back to Kise. "You can really see him?"

Kise, brows furrowed, nodded. "Of course I can, Akashi-cchi, he's right there."

Akashi grinned as he turned back to Kuroko, only to find tears streaming down the bluenette's face.

"Tetsuya…"

Kuroko laughed softly, swiping at his eyes. He didn't waste another moment before flinging himself into the redhead's arms, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck as he kissed him- the way he'd longed to kiss him, fully and completely, with as much passion as a human body could muster.

When the two finally separated, Kuroko continued to beam up at his beloved, his eyes still wet with tears. "I-I'm alive."

Akashi nodded, kissing his nose. "I know."

XXX

A year passed by quickly for Akashi and his friends, slowly for the former ghosts themselves. Though they were now officially human, not even able to summon the spirit realm in the slightest, they weren't allowed to leave their boyfriends' homes often. They could sometimes go out in the late evenings, when it was less likely to run into people from their past lives. If being dead was difficult, then being undead was almost downright impossible.

Luckily, it was senior year for the group of friends, and they'd all previously decided to move away from their childhood home, hoping to start anew. The fresh start was quite a literal affair for the newly resurrected human beings.

As graduation approached, Kuroko and Aomine conjured up a surprise- a congratulatory gift, if you may. And just before the opening ceremonies were to begin, they summoned their loves to the back of the school.

Akashi's brows furrowed as he subtly pulled out his phone, reading the text from Kuroko. Sighing, he looked to Kise, only a little ways down the row from him. The blonde looked up from his own phone then, meeting the redhead's gaze. Afraid for what may have happened, the two then quietly sneaked out of the room, heading to their rendezvous.

When they arrived, both young men released the breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Kuroko and Aomine were both leant against the wall, laughing to one another.

Akashi sighed under his breath, his lips quirking up a tiny, almost unnoticeable amount as he walked over to his bluenette. Kise followed his footsteps, stopping in front of Aomine.

"Alright," Akashi said coolly, "we're here. What is this about?"

"Aomine-cchi~ It's about to start~" Kise whined.

The bluenettes shared a look, smiles growing on their faces as they turned back to their respective loves.

"We're sorry for the timing," Kuroko said, "Aomine ran into a little trouble."

The tanned man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it was my fault," he mumbled sarcastically. "Anyway, we were thinking. We know we can't exactly go through with it officially, since we're technically dead…"

"But we want to propose an offer to you."

Akashi and Kise shared a confused look before Aomine and Kuroko both sank to their knee, simultaneously pulling rings from their pockets.

"We'd like to propose an unofficial wedding," Aomine concluded.

Kise's golden eyes were wide as tears began to fill their corners, soon overflowing onto his flushed cheeks. "Aomine-cchi~!" he exclaimed, tackling the man in a tight embrace as he kissed him passionately.

For the other couple, Kuroko was the one to blush, and Akashi laughed softly as he too knelt before the bluenette.

"Some timing," he whispered, pulling his own ring from his pocket. "I was going to wait until after the ceremony."

Grinning like a fool, Kuroko kissed his redhead, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. "I love you, Seijuro."

He chuckled, effortlessly slipping the rings onto both of their respective fingers. "I love you, Tetsuya."


End file.
